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Top 10 wildflower rock garden plants

Create a wildflower rock garden with these wildflowers

In this guest blog by Lindsey Jones of the Wildflower Nursery, you’ll find out which plants to use to create your own wildflower rock garden. Get it right and you’ll be able to do your bit to provide a habitat for Britain’s wildlife! Why not check out the Wildflower Nursery on GardenTags too.

A rock garden is a great habitat for a variety of wildlife. Larger rocks are a great place for butterflies to rest on warm sunny days and cracks and crevices provide homes for a wide range of wildlife. Wildflowers planted in a rock garden will attract bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects into your garden. You can buy all 10 of these plants from the Wildflower Nursery on the GardenTags Market too. Shop now.

Here’s my top 10 perennial British wildflower plants which are drought tolerant, low-growing and are well suited for planting in rock gardens, nooks and crannies, wall crevices and in gaps between pavers.

1.Wild Basil Clinopodium vulgare

An excellent nectar plant for bumblebees, other bees, butterflies and many other insects.

2.Cheddar Pink Dianthus gratianopolitanus

A rare British wildflower, native to the Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, where it grows on the steep limestone cliffs. This is a beautifully scented cottage garden plant and a good nectar plant. Food plant of the Varied Coronet moth and the Lychinis moth.

3. Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

It is attractive to Buff-Tailed bumble bee, Common Carder bumblebee, Honeybee, Red Mason bee, Red-tailed bumble bee, White-Tailed bumble bee and Wool-Carder bee and is also the food plant of the Northern Rustic both. Also known as the Bluebell of Scotland 🙂

5. Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare

A very attractive nectar and pollen-rich plant for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Food plant of the Sub-Angled moth, Black Veined moth and Lace Bordered moth. The Small Copper butterfly finds Wild Marjoram very attractive, so by planting it next to Sorrel (it’s food plant), it will encourage them to stay.

Although a great herb for cooking, this is not the more commonly used Pot Marjoram (O.majorana), with paler flowers that is much less hardy.

6. Rock Rose Helianthemun nummularium

A very good source of pollen and nectar for honeybees, solitary bees, short-tongued bumblebees, and to a lesser extent, long tongued bees. There are several species of small beetle that feed on the foliage. It is the food plant of the Brown Argus, Green Hairstreak and Silver Studded Blue.

7. Common Toadflax CLinaria vulgaris

Also known as Wild Snapdragon, this is a very good pollen and nectar plant for honeybees, short and long-tongued bumblebee and solitary bees. It is the food plant of the Toadflax Pug moth and the Marbled Clover moth.

8. Thrift Armeria maritime

Rich in nectar for bees and butterflies, it is the food plant of the Thrift Clearwing moth and Black-Banded Wave moth. In Welsh it is known as Clustog Fair, meaning Mary’s Pillow in reference to its cushion-like clumps of leaves. It is the county flower of Pembrokeshire, Wales.

The Wildflower Nursery have a GardenTags Market members deal. You can buy all 10 of these wildflower rock garden plants for only £29.99! SHOP NOW.

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